Happy With Me
by VanInBlack
Summary: On the way back home from a case, Hotch and Rossi get stranded for a night. Will they finally admit to their feelings for each other? Written for Thn0715 for the Christmas Gift Exchange. Slash.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Here's my story for the Christmas Gift Exchange on CCOAC for the lovely Thn0715. Her prompts for Hotch/Rossi were: 'Ornament' by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a decorated city park, fresh snowfall, and a chalet in the woods. I managed to write in all of them (in case of the song prompt, it might feel a bit forced though ;)). And yes, this is slash! Not too explicit, though. **_

_**The story will be three chapters. **_

_**Hope you like it, Thn! I literally squeed when I saw that I'd be writing your story :)! Have a wonderful Christmas! **_

_**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone else, too! Enjoy reading! **_

_**Disclaimer: The usual... **_

* * *

><p><strong>Happy With Me <strong>

Chapter 1: A Decorated City Park

* * *

><p>It was the 21st of December and Aaron Hotchner's team was once again out of town for a case. They had been called to New York City this time, when two young boys, five and six years old, were found murdered in Central Park within 10 days of each other. Victimology and the way the bodies were posed post mortem made it clear that the police were looking for the same killer.<p>

The team was barely set up in the precinct when the call came that a third boy had been found dead, not too far from where the other two boys had been discovered.

While the others stayed back interviewing the victims' families and friends, Hotch and Rossi accompanied the lead detective to the crime scene.

"God, he can't be more than five years old," the detective said, looking down at the small body. "Who does that?

Hotch took one glance at the dead boy and quickly turned away again. He was used to seeing the most horrific crimes, they all were, but this he could barely stand. Crimes against children were always the worst, but those boys...

Hotch didn't even want to think about it. Yet, he couldn't get the image out of his head, the image that replaced this little boy laying on the icy ground with his son Jack.

He ran a cold hand through his hair as he tried to regain his composure.

"Aaron?"

The gently inquiring voice of his best friend came promptly, just like his warm, comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Did you see his eyes and his hair?" Hotch whispered.

"I know."

"No victim has ever resembled Jack that much," Hotch went on.

"Do you need a break, Aaron?" Dave wanted to know, studying Hotch's face closely.

Hotch shook his head.

"No, it's okay. Just give me a second."

He took a deep breath and they proceeded to do their work. Thankfully, the crime scene investigators were quickly done processing the body and covered it up. Hotch wasn't sure if he were able to stomach seeing the boy's big brown eyes and light brown hair for much longer.

"Come on, Aaron, let's take a walk," Dave suggested once they were done as well.

"Dave, we have to go back to the others," Hotch tried to protest.

"They can wait for half an hour," Dave brushed his objection away.

He told the detective to go ahead, they would be following soon, and gently tucked on Hotch's arm to lead him away from the crime scene.

Walking along a small path and over a little bridge, they didn't have to go far to feel like they entered a whole different world. Nothing would suggest that a horrible crime had taken place just around the corner in the very same park.

"Look around," Dave prompted, seeing Hotch ignoring everything around him in his usual stoic demeanor.

"Dave-"

"Just do it, Aaron."

Hotch's eyes followed Dave's gestures and he couldn't stop his lips from twitching into something that almost resembled a smile. Jack would love this.

A thin layer of snow covered the grass, the trees and the bushes, and with the thousands of little white lamps from the light strings that were fixed to the plants everywhere, the place looked like a perfect winter wonderland.

"I know we're here to do our job and catch a killer, Aaron," Dave said. "But you might want to remember this for Jack."

Hotch nodded.

"Jack loves Christmas decorations. Especially outside."

"Wasn't that the main reason you moved from your apartment into a house?" Dave grinned.

"Apparently, if you ask Jack." A warm, genuine smile formed on his face, showing his dimples. "I spent 200 $ on decorations and light strings this year. And I even had someone trim the small tree between the house and the garage to look like Rudolph. You should see our front yard now."

"That's how it's supposed to be, Aaron," Dave smirked.

Their eyes met, and Hotch nodded thankfully.

Once again, his best friend had found a way to make him feel better. And not for the first time, Hotch felt himself drawn to him on a much deeper level. One day soon he would have to clear the confusion his emotions left in his head every time he so much as thought of the older man. And then he would have to find out about Dave's feelings.

For some reason, he had an inkling that they weren't so much different from his.

"Come on, let's go back to the precinct," Dave said after they had stood and enjoyed the quiet winter scene in companionable silence for a few more minutes.

"The faster we solve this case, the faster we'll be home."


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Many thanks for the lovely reviews so far! **_

* * *

><p><strong>Happy With Me<strong>

Chapter 2: Fresh Snowfall

* * *

><p>Two days later the team had solved the case and made an arrest. Hotch almost lost it when they brought the Unsub in, but once again, Dave was there to keep him sane.<p>

Unfortunately, traveling back home had become a tad bit more difficult.

Over night, there had been so much fresh snow that every airport in and around New York City had been closed for the time being. Their jet wasn't able to depart.

Hotch's frustration grew with every minute.

Even the tentative estimation that the airports should be cleared again – if there was no new snowfall of course – by the next morning, Christmas Eve nonetheless, didn't make him feel better.

After a quiet dinner with the team, his impatience had become too much.

"I'm going to drive," he announced before they were all going back to their hotel.

"What?" Morgan questioned, furrowing his brows, while the others looked at him just as confused.

"It's a five-hour drive from here back to Virginia," Hotch reasoned.

"Yeah, under normal circumstances, not through a snowstorm," Morgan huffed.

"Fine, six or seven hours then. Doesn't change the fact that I'll probably be home faster than if I wait for the airports to get cleared."

"Hotch, you can't drive back by yourself," Morgan tried a different strategy.

"He won't," Dave quickly intervened, earning himself surprised glances from everyone, especially from Hotch. He gave him a brief, encouraging smile and added: "I'll drive with him."

The disbelief on their colleagues' faces was obvious.

"Anybody wanna join us?" Dave asked.

They all shook their heads. They would be able to fly directly to their respective families once the planes were starting again.

So would be Hotch and Dave, of course, but any reasoning they tried fell on deaf ears with their esteemed Unit Chief and his best friend.

"Look, why don't you wait until tomorrow morning and see if the airports are cleared by then?" Prentiss suggested. "If not, you can still take a car and drive."

Hotch shook his head.

"It has stopped snowing at the moment, Prentiss. I should take the chance, who knows what the weather will look like tomorrow. There might be a blizzard for all I know and then I'm stuck here. I promised Jack to be home for Christmas this year. You don't have kids, you can't understand that." He sounded bitter and even more frustrated, but seeing the hurt expression in Prentiss' eyes at his harshly spoken words, he immediately regretted them.

"I'm sorry, Emily," he apologized right away. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's okay, Hotch. I understand your frustration," Prentiss accepted his apology. "We're just concerned for you, that's all."

"And I appreciate your concern, but I'm still going to drive."

"We'll be careful," Dave threw in, ending the discussion.

Back at the hotel, he and Hotch quickly gathered their belongings and checked out.

"You don't have to come with me, Dave," Hotch said quietly as they were walking out to where the rest of their team was waiting to see them off.

"Humor me, Aaron," was all Dave had to say in reply.

Hotch's lips twitched in a slight smile. He was secretly very glad that he didn't have to drive the way back all by himself, and his offer to Dave to stay behind had been an only halfhearted one anyway. If there was anyone on his team he wanted to be on a minimum five hour road trip with, it was Dave Rossi.

They put their bags into the Bureau issued SUV that would bring them back home to Virginia, and their friends and teammates repeated their advice to drive carefully.

"And call through when you're home safely," JJ insisted.

"We will," Hotch promised.

"Have a wonderful Christmas everyone," Dave wished them, drew Emily and JJ in a short hug, and gave Morgan and Read a friendly handshake.

"Merry Christmas." Hotch stuck to a handshake for everyone.

"Have a good time with Jack," Prentiss smiled, indicating that she'd forgiven him for his earlier comment.

"I will."

They made it out of the city surprisingly quickly. Conversation was light and easy, as always with Dave, while the radio was on in the background with an odd mix of Christmas songs of various genres. Currently 'Ornament' by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra was playing and Dave was quietly humming along.

Hotch raised an eyebrow and shot him a quick glance.

" I didn't think this would be your cup of tea. I always thought you'd listen to nothing but the Rat Pack for Christmas."

"I'm full of surprises, Aaron," Dave replied with a wink, and Hotch wondered if he had implied anything with these words.

"Should I be worried?" he asked jokingly.

"Depends," Dave answered cryptically, a wide grin on his face.

"On?"

"Well, how far are you willing to go?"

"What do you mean?"

Hotch furrowed his brows. Dave sounded so serious and sincere all of a sudden, and he couldn't put his finger to what it was exactly, but something between them shifted. The possibility that there was more than friendship between them hung heavy in the air.

Dave had to have noticed it, too.

"Nothing," he quickly replied.

They fell into a deep, contemplating silence, the short conversation replaying over and over in Hotch's mind. He didn't want to over-think it, but he couldn't stop his thoughts from wandering. Was it possible that Dave was interested in him? He'd never noticed it before. Or had he maybe just ignored the signs?

And what about himself? The thought of Dave as more than just a friend was surprisingly appealing to him.

They simultaneously let out a sigh and awkwardly smiled at each other.

Maybe he should just ask Dave about it, Aaron mused, and was uttering the question before he even consciously realized it.

"Is there anything you want to tell me, Dave?"

Dave looked up, clearly not expecting this question. He thought for a second before he answered.

"Aaron, I'd rather not answer that in a car while you have to concentrate on driving through the snow."

"Will you answer it when we're home?" Hotch inquired further. Now that he had started it, he might as well go on.

"If you think you can handle my answer, then yes, I will," Dave told him solemnly.

"I can," Hotch assured him.

They fell back into an easy silence.

Hotch didn't have much room to contemplate the issue further, because it had started to snow again and he needed all of his concentration to steer the SUV through the suddenly heavy snowfall. That they had already been driving for a few hours and the clock was steadily approaching midnight didn't make it easier.

Not much later, though to Hotch it seemed as if at least half an hour had passed, the snow was becoming so much, the wipers had problems clearing the windshield. The road was barely visible anymore and they weren't driving much faster than at walking pace. Their GPS unfortunately had conked out when they had crossed state lines into Pennsylvania, and they hadn't seen signs of a town or at least a rest stop or a roadside motel in quite a while.

"Maybe we should stop and wait the snowfall out," Hotch said eventually, stopping the car.

"Here? In the middle of the road?" Dave asked. "We'll freeze if you stop the motor. And if you'll keep it running we'll run out of gas probably before the snowstorm's over. And then we'll freeze as well. Not much of a choice here."

Hotch looked at him incredulously, but then realized that Dave was right.

While they had filled up the gas tank when they started, they couldn't risk running out of gas while standing. They didn't know how far the closest gas station was away and walking through that kind of weather would certainly be suicidal.

"Let's call Garcia," Dave suggested out of the blue. "She'll be able to direct us to the closest motel."

Hotch nodded and took out his cell phone.

"Super-Boss!" Garcia answered on the first ring, despite the late hour. "Have you lost your mind?"

Of course one of their teammates, probably Morgan, had called her and informed her of their impromptu road trip, Hotch thought. It surprised him that she hadn't tried to call them before to talk them out of it.

"Hello, Garcia," he greeted her with his usual stoic voice.

"Please tell me you two are okay!" She went on.

"Yes, yes, we're fine. There's just … uhm … a bit of snow."

"Now that's a surprise," Garcia snorted sarcastically. "Did you get lost?"

"No, we're still en route. The problem is, the snowfall's so heavy we can barely see anything at all. We have to take a break. And we can't keep on standing in the middle of the road," Hotch explained.

"And now you need me to tell you where the closest motel is," Garcia concluded.

"Exactly. Am I correct to assume that you're already sitting in front of your computer?"

"Boss-man, do you really need to ask?" She retorted.

Hotch smiled.

"Of course not."

"Can you tell me where you are?"

"Uhm … "

"Or at least the last town you passed?"

"I … well..."

"I thought you said you didn't get lost?"

"We didn't. I was too busy driving to pay attention. Dave, what was the last town we drove by?"

Hotch looked at Dave, who just shrugged.

"Dave doesn't know either," he said into the phone.

"Fine, we'll do it differently. I'll locate your cell phone. Just a minute," Garcia decided then.

"Can you do that from home?" Hotch wanted to know. Hearing her huff, he could exactly picture her roll her eyes upon the stupidity of his question.

"Never mind," he quickly added.

Moments later she called out: "Okay, my two insane super agents, I've got you. You've still quite a distance ahead of you."

"We know that, Garcia."

"Okay, so the next motel is about ten miles away."

Hotch groaned. Ten miles. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't me much of a deal, but with that kind of snowfall they'd need at least 45 minutes to get there.

"Ten miles," he informed Dave, who had given him a questioning look.

"There's another option, though," Garcia went on.

"What is it?"Hotch asked, hearing her tap furiously on the keyboard.

"About a mile back from where you are, there's a small country road turning right into the woods. A quarter mile in there is a chalet. Maybe you could ask there if you could stay the night?"

"You're kidding."

"What is it?" Dave interrupted.

Hotch repeated what Garcia had just told him.

"That'll do," Dave immediately decided for them.

"We can't just knock on some stranger's door. What if they won't let us in?"

"Then we'll see what we can do about the motel. Give me the phone, Aaron, and drive."

The finality in Dave's tone told Aaron that discussing with him would lead to nothing. He handed the phone over to his friend and turned the key in the ignition.

Carefully turning the car, he slowly drove the road back.

With Garcia's directions they found the chalet easily.

"Garcia, I don't want to know if you illegally hacked into anything to find this place," Dave told her.

"A magician never tells his tricks, my favorite Italian," she replied cheekily.

"Of course not," he grinned as they got out of the car.

"Everything's dark," he commented, approaching the cabin.

"Does that surprise you? It's after midnight, Dave," Hotch retorted.

"Well, let's see of someone's home."

They knocked on the wooden door, once, twice, three times, but nothing happened.

"Maybe you'll have to knock louder?" Garcia mused over the phone.

"There's probably no one home," Dave replied to her, while trying to peek inside through the window. It was too dark to see anything, however.

"Let's try to get in," he suggested when there was still no sound from inside.

"Dave!"

"Aaron, what are we waiting for? No one's in there. Or do you see a car here?"

"We can't just break and enter some people's house!" Hotch argued.

"Why not? It's an emergency. And if someone shows up we identify ourselves and reimburse them for everything we break and take," Dave shot his hesitation down.

"I agree with you, my handsome Italian," Garcia threw in. "Tell the boss-man this. Or better yet, hand the phone back to him. I haven't given him hell yet for the most stupid stunt he's ever pulled."

Dave chuckled at her determination.

"There's nothing for you to laugh about! You're next! You didn't stop him!" She accused.

Dave knew it was better not to argue with her and simply handed the phone to Hotch.

"Garcia wants to talk to you. And I'm going in there now!"

Before Hotch could stop him, he got a pocket knife out of his go-bag and picked the lock.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Once again, my original three-chapter outline has turned into a much longer fic. So contrary to what I had originally announced in my author's note in Chapter 1, this won't be the last chapter. **_

_**Also, unlike I said in Chapter 1, I will have to change the rating to M for the next chapter. It looks like Aaron and Dave can't keep their hands off each other...**_

_**Many, many thanks once again for all the wonderful reviews! **_

* * *

><p><strong>Happy With Me<strong>

Chapter 3: A Chalet In The Woods, Part 1

* * *

><p>As expected, not a single person was in the chalet. Considering there weren't any Christmas decorations either, Dave and Hotch assumed that no one would show up there within the next 24 hours. It was either this or the owner of this place was the Grinch himself.<p>

Even though the chalet didn't look very luxurious, both men realized it certainly wasn't the worst place to spend the night. The interior was simple, yet rather cozy.

While they listened to Garcia rant about how irresponsible their little road trip was – she had demanded to be put on speaker so she didn't have to say the same things twice – Hotch and Dave inspected their shelter for the night.

The generously-sized living area in the front was separated in a small kitchen and dining corner on the left side and a den on the right side. There was a homy couch, though not very big, and a low table by a fire place. Right in front of the fire there was a white bearskin which was probably the most valuable thing in the whole house. A small recliner stood in the far right corner of the room, next to a bookshelf with a couple of books on it, none of which seemed particularly interesting to the men. A TV or other electronic entertainment devices were nowhere to be seen, but they didn't plan on doing anything else than sleeping here, anyway.

In the back of the chalet were a bedroom and a bathroom.

"Please let there be warm water," Hotch muttered to himself.

Knowing that their options were limited, he was coming around to the idea of spending the night in a lonely chalet in the woods with his best friend... or whatever he was going to be to him in the future.

Stepping into the bedroom, they both froze in their tracks for a second. While looking fairly comfortable, the bed was queen-sized – at best.

Neither of them generally had a problem with sharing a bedroom. They had done so on numerous occasions while away on cases. However, the hotel rooms usually either had double-beds with two mattresses or two single beds. If they were both going to sleep in there, they would definitely have to squeeze together.

"Well, thank God it's not a single bed," Dave joked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Garcia, of course, having only heard his last two words, couldn't refrain from commenting on it.

"Single bed? Super agents, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing, Garcia," Hotch quickly answered, shooting Dave a look that was a mixture between amused and annoyed.

"Don't nothing me! Does this mean you'll have to share a bed? A single bed, no less?"

She sounded far too excited for Hotch's liking. What the heck had he been missing if Garcia got that exhilarated about the possibility of him and Dave sleeping in the same bed?

"Actually, it's queen-sized," Dave told her with a big grin on his face, echoing her anticipation.

"And one of us will be able to take the couch," Hotch intervened. He didn't want to give her any more ideas, but Dave didn't do him the favor of keeping his mouth shut.

"The one certainly won't be me. I'm not squeezing myself on a tiny couch like that one in the living room."

Completely forgetting about Garcia on the other end of the phone line for a second, Hotch retorted, "You're smaller than I!"

"And you're younger!" Dave shot right back. "I will, of course, be more than willing to share, Aaron. Under certain conditions."

Garcia's voice pulled them from their banter again.

"Oh, this is exciting! You're bickering like an old married couple!" She snickered.

"And on that note, I think it's time to say goodnight," Hotch quickly cut her off, giving Dave a warning glare to not provoke her further.

"Puh," she pouted, "I was having so much fun listening to you."

"Goodnight, Garcia!"

"Wait! Queen-sized beds and tiny couches aside, you are safe for the night, right?"

"We are, Kitten," Dave assured her.

"Good. And you'll call first thing in the morning before you continue your road trip!" Her last statement certainly wasn't tempered suggestion, and Dave quickly agreed as to not conjure up another rant from her.

"Of course, Kitten. Thanks a lot for your help tonight. It's truly appreciated."

"We owe you, Garcia," Hotch confirmed.

"That you certainly do, my loves. I'll collect when you're back," Garcia answered.

"You just had to taunt her, didn't you," Hotch immediately said to Dave once Garcia had disconnected the call.

Dave just grinned and went back to the living room. Grabbing his bag that he'd left on the floor next to the entrance, he brushed past Hotch, making his was to the bathroom.

"I hope you weren't serious about one of us sleeping on the couch. Just remember we'll have to sit in the car for a few more hours tomorrow. The bed may not be the biggest, but at least we can stretch out."

"Fine," Hotch agreed. "But if you're trying to steal the covers, I'll revise this decision."

Dave chuckled and left him standing in the hallway.

Taking his own bag, Hotch went back into the bedroom.

His heart involuntarily began to beat faster as he looked at the bed again. He was going to spend the night in there with Dave. The thought excited him, much like it had Garcia on the phone, and more than he liked to admit. At the same time, it made him incredibly nervous, even though he didn't really know why.

It was not like Dave would try to get into his pants tonight, was it? As soon as he had finished that thought, he realized Dave had certainly been flirting with him the entire evening. And if Dave had been anywhere near serious with it, Hotch wouldn't put it past him to try exactly that.

He didn't have time to think about it further, because the man in question came back. Hotch's breath caught as he took in the sight of him, barefoot and clad only in his boxer shorts and undershirt.

"Your turn, Aaron," Dave said and smiled at him. "I left you some warm water."

"Uhm...yeah, thanks." Hotch cleared his throat and quickly fled the room, hoping Dave hadn't caught him staring.

Deciding for a quick shower, he hoped the warm water would relax him enough to get a good night's sleep.

When he came back into the bedroom, Dave was already lying in bed.

"I've already warmed the sheets for you," he informed him with a wide grin, and pulled the covers back. "Come on in."

Hotch's heart missed a beat and then raced like never before.

Blushing deeply, he lay down next to Dave and turned off the lights. '_Damn it, Aaron, why are you so fuckin' nervous?' _A little voice in his head questioned. '_I thought you told Dave you could handle everything?'_

"You okay, Aaron?" Dave wanted to know after a few moments of rather uneasy silence.

Hotch was lying flat on his back, just like Dave, their arms touching. Every fiber of his body was on alert because of the physical closeness between them.

"Yeah … of course," Aaron replied shortly. '_Get yourself together,_ _Hotchner,'_ he mentally berated himself. '_You should be elated to be in this situation right now.' _

He felt Dave shift next to him and seconds later the lights went on again.

Dave braced himself on his elbow and looked at him.

"You're tense," he said. It was a statement, not a question.

"I'm not," Hotch denied, too weak to be believable, and he knew with one look into Dave's eyes what he thought of his attempt to protest.

"If it makes you that uncomfortable to share with me, I can take the couch," Dave offered.

"No!" Hotch called out momentarily, sounding so desperate that Dave couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"No," he repeated softly and sat up. "It's okay, Dave."

He avoided Dave's gaze and felt his face turn deep red again.

Dave settled against the headboard as well.

"Maybe it's time we talked," he suggested gently, watching Hotch closely.

The younger man nodded, but hesitated. He didn't really know where to start.

Earlier, back in the car, this had seemed so much easier.

_'God, Aaron, you're a coward,'_ the voice in his head began again. _'The man's your best friend, talking to him shouldn't be that hard.'_

"Dave, I … I'm not sure what to say," he started slowly.

"I must say, you seemed a lot more confident on the way here," Dave smirked, then turned serious a moment later. "Aaron, all I want from you is to be honest with me."

Raising his head to meet Dave's eyes, he saw nothing but kindness and affection in them, and felt himself relax immediately.

"It's not just me, isn't it?" he whispered finally. "I'm not imagining this … growing attraction between us, right?"

"No, you're not," Dave replied softly.

"Good." Now that he knew for sure that Dave and he were both in the same boat, he was considerably calmer again.

"How long have you known?" he asked him.

"That I'm attracted to you, or that you feel the same for me?"

"Both, I guess."

"Ever since I've been back at the BAU, and tonight in the car."

Hotch's eyes gave away honest astonishment. The second part of Dave's answer wasn't that surprising to him. He was sure he'd done a good enough job to conceal his feelings, especially since it hadn't been that long he himself had been aware of them. He would, however, never have guessed that Dave had been thinking about him as more than just a friend for over four years.

"You never said anything," he commented, waiting for Dave to elaborate.

"I guess, in the beginning I was just as confused as you. I didn't expect to come back and fall in love with … well, technically, with my boss."

Hotch's heart began to speed up as he heard the word love coming out of Dave's mouth. He honestly hadn't thought in categories like that yet. Before he could contemplate about it further, Dave continued.

"Also, and contrary to what you might have heard about me, I've never been with another man before. And you were still with Haley back then."

"We had already separated when you came back," Hotch threw in, reminding him of that little fact.

"Yes, but you can't deny that you were still in love with her then, can you? It was Haley, who'd left you. She wanted the divorce, not you. You needed to get over her first and be able to move on, before I wanted to make a move. And then when I thought we were both ready, Foyet happened … and ..."

"It would have been too much for me to handle at the time," Hotch finished for him.

"Exactly," Dave agreed.

Taking Dave's hand and linking their fingers together, Hotch felt a jolt of electricity rush through him at the contact, his whole body filling with warmth and comfort. A sudden thought came to his mind, of how it would feel to have Dave's hands on other parts of his body, and how Dave's skin would feel under his fingertips. He hadn't really thought about or imagined that before, despite a few inappropriate dreams he had over the last couple of months. Dreams that didn't feel inappropriate anymore.

"I'm glad it's finally out," Dave admitted quietly after a minute of contemplative silence, pulling Hotch from his thoughts.

"Me too," Hotch smiled. Whatever confusion he had felt concerning his feelings for Dave was now completely wiped away.

"So, how do we go on from here?" Dave wanted to know.

"I have no idea," Hotch grinned. "But I'm hopeful it'll sort itself out from here."

He played with Dave's fingers for a moment, before he went on.

"But I do know what I want to do right now."

"And what's that?" Dave asked.

"This."

He leaned over and gently covered Dave's lips with his. Momentarily stunned, it took Dave a second to respond, but when he did, they quickly lost themselves in the kiss.

At first, it was strange for Hotch to kiss someone who had facial hair, but Dave's goatee felt surprisingly smooth. Expecting Dave to take control of the kiss much like he usually took control of everything, Hotch was astounded how cautious and tender he was.

Until Dave fisted his hand in his hair and pulled him closer.

Hotch groaned at the strong, yet careful grip of Dave's hand on his scalp and the older man immediately took the chance to let his tongue enter through his parted lips. He couldn't help another, louder groan escaping his mouth and was incredibly pleased when he heard a similar sound from Dave.

He tasted wonderful. A little bit like the peppermint drop he had been chewing on in the car, and so uniquely David Rossi that Hotch didn't find a fitting adjective to describe it, except for – delightful.

Their explorations became hungrier and more demanding by the second, and Hotch soon found himself lying half on top of Dave.

The need for air was what brought them apart some long, hot minutes later.

"Wow," was all Hotch could say.

"Indeed," Dave confirmed, brushing another quick kiss against his lips. "I haven't made out like that since I was a teenager," he confessed, looking extraordinarily pleased.

Hotch chuckled and pressed a kiss against Dave's cheek before sitting back next to him.

"Glad I could be of service."

"I definitely won't object to kisses like that in the future," Dave grinned.

"Me neither," he agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks so much once again for all the reviews and for your patience with my slow updating! I value each and everyone of your comments! **

**Please note that the story's rating has now changed to M! SMUT ALERT!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Happy With Me<strong>

Chapter 4: A Chalet In The Woods, Part 2

* * *

><p>In the morning, Hotch woke up to the alarm of his cell phone going off. They had agreed to get up at eight o' clock, which would give them more than enough time to drive and be home by Christmas, even if it was still snowing.<p>

Dave's warm body was spooned behind him, his arm wrapped around him, holding him in place. It took Hotch a few moments to realize where he was, but Dave's drawn-out groan to 'Turn it off!' brought him back to reality fairly quickly.

Smiling to himself, he felt more comfortable and rested than he had in a very long time. He stretched his arm out, trying to reach for his phone.

"Dave, you're the one complaining, now let me turn off the alarm!" Hotch moaned as Dave scooted even closer, tightening his grip around him.

"Hurry up then," Dave grumbled, waiting not so patiently for the annoying sound to disappear.

"Come here," he urged him as soon as everything was quiet again.

Hotch snuggled as close as he could get, resting his head against Dave's broad chest, relishing the strong arms that held him safe and secure.

"Mmm, you smell wonderful," Dave murmured into his hair, pressing soft kisses into it.

They'd gone to sleep with the agreement to take things slow, see where it would lead them.

But waking up in Dave's arms, feeling the comfort and security they provided, quickly changed Hotch's mind about taking it slow. Maybe it was because he wasn't fully awake yet, and not all of his senses fully functioning, but right now, he wanted more. Much more than these intense kisses they had shared the night before. Not that he would ever object to them.

He had never had any kind of sexual experience with another man, even though he knew some of his buddies back in college had indeed experimented a little with the same sex.

But for him there had always been Haley, and even though at times he'd felt like something had been missing, he would never actually have cheated on her.

And now, with Dave, the attraction he felt for him was almost overwhelming. He needed to feel him, needed to kiss and to touch him. It was almost as if their little adventure and the final admission of their feelings to each other triggered this need.

Raising his head just enough to bury it in the crook of Dave's neck, he inhaled deeply, savoring the unique scent of – if he had his way – his very-soon-to-be lover in every sense of the word.

He smiled hearing Dave's soft moan as his stubble came in contact with Dave's warm skin.

"Mmm, Aaron, what are you doing?" Dave asked.

"Searching for your weak spots," Aaron smirked, gently assaulting Dave's pulse with his lips.

Suckling tenderly, he was pleased when the older man rewarded him with another, louder moan.

Getting braver by the second, Hotch also let his hand start its own exploration. His fingertips stroked down Dave's arm until he reached his hand. Linking their fingers together, he noticed – not for the first time – the strength of Dave's hand. At the same time, Dave's warm palm felt almost softer than Haley's hand ever had.

Hotch couldn't wait to feel it all over his body.

When his lips had found their way up to Dave's cheek, he brushed a short kiss on the corner of his mouth before pulling back. He sat up and before Dave could say something, straddled him and leaned down to capture his lips in a sensual kiss.

"Whoa," Dave let out when they had to part for air. "Are you sure we agreed on a definition of 'slow' last night?"

"Do you mind?" Hotch asked back. _'Please don't say no!'_ His mind screamed. "I'll stop if it's too fast for you," he added, hoping that Dave would let him continue.

"Are you kidding me?" Dave replied incredulously, his eyes twinkling with happiness and determination. "You know how long I've waited for that moment. I certainly won't hold you back now."

"Good."

With that Hotch kissed him again, harder and more passionate than ever before, and before he had a chance to react, Dave had flipped them over.

Taking control of the kiss, he made sure, once and for all, that Hotch had definitely nothing to worry about things happening too fast. After all, he was the one who had spent years fantasizing about every single detail he would do with his best friend if he ever got the chance.

He almost couldn't believe that the moment had finally come.

If he wasn't able to control himself, however, it would be over faster than a Hotch-rocket, to say it in Garcia's words.

He couldn't let that happen, especially not since he prided himself with his famous self-control.

But Hotch smelled so damn good! His kisses tasted like heaven, as cheesy as it sounded. This was way better than anything he could ever have imagined.

And Hotch definitely knew how to push all of his buttons.

"Argh, Aaron!" He gasped as their groins came in contact. There was no doubt about how much their current actions had already aroused them.

"Dave," Hotch moaned his name at the same time, reaching down to pull the older man closer.

"Too many clothes," he murmured breathlessly against Dave's lips.

"Mmhmm," Dave hummed in agreement, tucking ungainly on Hotch's shirt, trying to somehow get it off without breaking the contact between them.

Hotch's own tries to do the same with Dave's shirt weren't much more successful and within seconds they toppled over and lay tangled in each other, no closer to getting naked than before.

Dave felt rather than heard Hotch's quiet chuckle, burying his face in Hotch's chest to stifle his own laughing at their clumsy attempts to undress each other.

"I'd like you to know that I do normally know how to do this," Dave offered after amoment.

"Really? I was actually getting the impression the tales of your prowess in bed have been vastly exaggerated," Hotch retorted dryly, only to burst into laughter a second later.

Dave joined in and for quite a while neither couldn't seem to get serious again.

"Thank God nobody's there to watch us," Dave said once they'd calmed down a bit.

"Garcia would have a field day," Hotch agreed. "And we'd find a video of our … well, of our misfortune on YouTube in no time."

There was a short moment of awkward silence when neither of them knew how to go on, but the sexual tension quickly got the upper hand again. It was simply too much to be ignored.

"I still want you naked," Dave told Hotch, breaking the silence.

"Me, too," Hotch confirmed. "Both of us."

"You first," Dave went on, sitting up and pulling Hotch with him.

"Hands up," he ordered gently and tucked at the hem of his shirt.

As soon as Hotch complied he slowly pushed the white fabric up, his palms gliding over Hotch's skin. He didn't have any more problems getting the shirt off and immediately proceeded to do the same with his boxers. Warm hands stopped him before he could succeed.

"Your shirt goes off first," Hotch demanded and in a matter of seconds had it joining his own on somewhere on the floor.

Neither man said a word for some long moments as they took in the sight they presented to each other. They just sat there, admiring and exploring each other's torsos with curious hands. Having shared hotel rooms on the road numerous times, it wasn't really a secret to either of them what the other one looked like naked. Dave knew exactly what kind of damage the Reaper's stabs had done to Hotch's chest and stomach, much like Hotch could locate all of the battle wounds Dave had gathered over the years, with the difference, of course that he didn't know every story behind them – yet.

And still, it felt immensely different for both of them to finally be able to look and touch openly instead of stealing glances here and there.

Dave shuddered visibly under Hotch's gentle ministrations and was a bit surprised how sure and confident his strokes were, knowing that this was most likely the first time his best friend had touched another man.

Carefully tracing his fingertips over Hotch's scars, he noticed, not for the first time, that Aaron didn't feel self-conscious about them at all – at least not with him. He'd seen him hesitate to take off his shirt in the gym when other people – not only strangers, but even Morgan – were around, but whenever he was alone with him, he didn't seem to have any problem with that at all. And for that, Dave was incredibly grateful.

Hotch closed his eyes when he felt Dave's touch along his scars. Having his best friend, partner, lover and everything in between that Dave was for him, stroke the deepest wounds anyone had ever inflicted on him, seemed to be the one thing he needed to complete his healing process.

At the same time he felt that parts of his bruised skin seemed to be much more sensitive than before. Though, that might as well be due to the fact that since Haley nobody had touched him there, or anywhere, in a sexual way. Everything in him was yearning for it.

"Dave...," he whispered softly, leaning into the touch.

"Like that, huh?" Dave grinned, immensely satisfied with the reaction he was getting from Hotch. "Let's see what else I can do for you."

Pushing him down on his back, he bent over for another passionate kiss, their tongues battling for dominance. Gently nudging his legs apart, Dave settled between them, their still boxer-clad erections rubbing heavily together.

With one deep look into each other's eyes they'd come to an unspoken agreement that Dave would be taking care of Aaron's needs first.

And listening to all the sounds Hotch made, all the little moans and gasps he let out whenever Dave's fingers found a particularly erogenous spot, Dave was sure that from now on this would be his most favorite pastime.

"Aah...," Hotch groaned, his hips jerking up against Dave's groin as the older man's lips found his earlobes.

Smirking at the fact that they were just as sensitive as his own, Dave went on to add to Hotch's pleasure by carefully pinching his nipples that had become just as hard and erect as his cock.

Feeling Hotch frantically rub his groin against his own hard body to get as much friction as possible on his penis, Dave toyed with him for a few more minutes. It felt too good to finally be able to do everything he'd ever imagined to Aaron, to finally touch, smell, taste and hear him, and he wanted to draw it out and enjoy it for as long as possible.

"Dave, please!" Hotch pleaded desperately. "Touch me!"

"I am touching you," Dave smirked, suckling on his nipples. He knew fully well where exactly Hotch wanted to be touched, but he had too much fun seeing and feeling him writhe beneath himself.

Rolling his hips against him, only to hear another, even more desperate plea from Hotch, Dave decided to have mercy on him. He wasted no more time and pulled Aaron's boxer-shorts down, revealing to his eyes what he had waited to see for so long.

And what a sight it was. Fully erect and hard, heavily leaking with pre-cum, it weeped for Dave's undivided attention.

Tracing one finger along the shaft up to the tip, Dave wiped up the clear liquid and was rewarded with a sharp his from Hotch's lips. He licked his fingers clean and knew from that one first taste that he would never be able to get enough of him.

He wanted to suck Hotch off right then and there, but when his hand was finally wrapped around Aaron's hard length, he realized that that kind of pleasure was for another time. Hotch was too far gone, too desperate to come that Dave knew it wouldn't take much more than a few good strokes to bring him over the edge.

"Fuck, Dave! More!" Hotch cried out as Dave's fingers curled around his penis, giving it a slow, deliberate stroke.

Dave leaned back over him, his own cock pressed against Hotch's thigh, and began to gently suck on his nipples again.

"Oh God! Yes! So good!"

Hotch's loud cries echoed in the room, sending not only a shiver down Dave's spine, but a new wave of arousal to his own erection.

He'd never thought it possible to get there with that little touches, but within seconds he was right on the verge of climaxing, just like his Aaron. He fought for his control, wanted to hold back just a little bit longer to be able to come from his lover's touch, but Hotch jerking his hips up to meet the movements of his hand stroke for stroke made it impossible. The younger man's thigh, rubbing involuntarily along Dave's hard cock, caused too much friction.

With a loud, heavy sigh, Hotch screamed out his orgasm, and Dave was right there with him, reaching his own completion.


	5. Chapter 5

**Happy With Me**

Chapter 5: Going Home

* * *

><p>Dave collapsed on top of Aaron, burying his face in his sweaty chest.<p>

Without thinking about it, Aaron wrapped his arms around him and began to absently stroke through Dave's thick, dark hair. They were both panting heavily, trying to catch their breath.

After some long moments, Dave's eyes grew heavier again, their morning activities having worn him out and making him all sleepy again.

Unfortunately, they couldn't stay in bed for much longer. Their journey home would still be long and they hadn't even checked for the weather yet. He just hoped that at least the snowfall had stopped.

Rolling off Aaron, he sat up, smirking at the sticky mess they had created between them.

"Come on, Aaron, time to get up. We gotta get going," he urged the other man on.

Aaron reluctantly opened his eyes and looked inquiringly at him.

"What about you?"

"What about me what?" Dave asked back.

"You... I mean... you haven't-" Aaron mumbled.

Grinning widely at Aaron's awkward stuttering, he gestured to the wet spot on his boxer shorts.

"I most certainly have," he affirmed him.

That made Aaron immediately forget his discomfort.

"You came in your shorts?" He asked incredulously, albeit in a very teasing tone.

"I have," Dave confirmed, eyeing Aaron suspiciously, who was unsuccessfully trying to stifle his chuckles.

"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"

"Never," Aaron smirked. "Wait until Garcia hears this. The legendary David Rossi couldn't control himself and came in his pants like a fifteen year old schoolboy."

"You wouldn't," Dave warned him, leaning over him again.

"Or what?"

"Or, lover or not, I'd have to kill you. I'm not gonna let you destroy my long cultivated and hard earned reputation," he remarked half-jokingly.

Before Aaron was able to reply, Dave bent down and claimed his lips again.

"This is all your fault anyway," he murmured against Aaron's lips between kisses.

"It is? How so?"

"You're so hot and sexy. Especially when you have your hands all over me. No one would be able to control himself around you, not even the Pope himself."

Aaron chuckled lightly, but inside he felt all giddy and extremely happy. Anymore happiness, and he felt like he would burst.

"That's a compliment I can give right back, handsome," he told Dave.

"Are you trying to channel Garcia?" Dave joked.

"No, I would have called you hotstuff if I did," Aaron retorted.

"That would work for me, too," Dave grinned.

After another round of passionately exchanged kisses, he went on.

"You know, if you keep mentioning Garcia while we're in bed, I could get the impression you'd want to invite her for a threesome with us."

Aaron choked and coughed. "Wh-what?" He squeaked.

"Just kidding," Dave smirked.

"I only want you in my bed," Aaron said quietly, his tone suddenly sober and honest.

"I know," Dave smiled at him. "And I'm glad, 'cause you're the only one I want, too."

He gently captured Aaron's lips again.

"You remember last week, or was it two weeks ago? When you met that woman in the park during your training?"

Aaron nodded. "Beth."

"I didn't know about your feelings for me then, and I was so sure I'd never have a chance with you, so I urged you on to go for it."

"You accused me of being miserable."

"We settled on slightly uptight. But I think we've even cured that just a couple of minutes ago," Dave gave back.

"We have," Aaron agreed, and quickly continued, feeling the need to assure Dave that he didn't have anything to worry about regarding Beth. "As I just said, I only want you. Not Beth, not Garcia, or anyone else. She's a great training partner, and a fun person to be with, but I'm not attracted to her."

"I know. And I meant what I said then. You deserve to be happy. And I'm adding now: With me."

"I am," Aaron stated simply.

They cuddled and made out for a couple of more minutes before finally getting up when they realized that it was already nine a.m., the time they'd originally wanted to hit the road this morning.

.~.~.

About 45 minutes later, the two men were back on the road. As expected, there was still a healthy amount of snow on the streets, but luckily for them the actual snowfall had stopped over night.

After a quick shower together – Dave had insisted, although that had almost delayed their departure even further – they had scribbled their names and phone numbers on a piece of paper and left it at the kitchen table along with two hundred-dollar bills, just in case the owners of the chalet came back before they had a chance to contact them.

They had already called Garcia, informing her that they were about to continue their trip through the snow-covered country roads, and had asked her to find out who the owners were. She would surely have all the contact details ready for them as soon as they were back in Quantico.

Since they hadn't found much food in the cabinets except for dry cereals – the fridge was completely empty, another indicator that the owners probably weren't staying there often – they decided to forgo breakfast for now and take a break on the next rest stop they would pass.

The first hour of their drive home was mostly spent in companionable silence. Dave was the one driving this time while Aaron leaned back and thought about everything that had happened between him and Dave the previous night.

He felt happy and content and for the first time since Haley's death actually looked forward to what the future might hold for him and Jack.

A gentle smile crept on his face at the thought of his son. He wondered for a moment if he should be concerned about what the boy would say about him and Dave being together and if he would accept the other man in his life, but quickly came to the conclusion that there was nothing to worry about. He knew his son. Jack loved Dave already, he would only be more delighted to see his Dad happy and smiling again.

After their breakfast break, the rest of the drive back home was spent with light conversation and playful arguments about favorite music and favorite sports teams.

When they had finally reached the outskirts of Quantico – Garcia had insisted on meeting them at the headquarters before sending them off on their Christmas break – Aaron asked out of the blue,

"Would you come home and spend Christmas with Jack and me?"

"I'd love to," Dave replied gently.

"If you don't have other plans already, of course."

"I don't. Well, at least none that couldn't as well be done together. You, me and Jack."

They smiled at each other and knew that this would be the happiest Christmas for both of them in a long time.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Dear readers, I need your votes! I have this story called "Christmas At Home" which I haven't updated in over two years. *shame on me* **_

_**You don't need to read it; in fact, I encourage you not to do so at the moment, because I am going to rewrite and continue it in the near future. And, as opposed to my original idea, it will now include a pairing. However, I can't decide if I want to pair up Rossi with Hotch or with Strauss. Both pairings would work for the storyline I have in mind now. **_

_**So here's what I'd like you to do: Please go to my profile and vote on the poll I've put up there, or, if you're friends with me on Facebook, cast your vote there. **_

_**Thanks! **_

* * *

><p><strong>Happy With Me<strong>

Chapter 6: One Year Later

* * *

><p>Just like the year before, the HotchnerRossi Christmas celebration took place at Aaron's and Jack's house.

Jack had been ecstatic when Uncle Dave had shown up with his Dad the previous year, and his excitement had known no limits when they'd told him that Uncle Dave was going to be around a lot more from now on.

A brief, initial hesitation on both Aaron's and Dave's sides regarding possible issues their relationship might bring for Jack was quickly brushed away. Over the year that they had been together, Jack had profited profoundly from the influence Dave had on his and also on Aaron's life. So much that it had only been a few months into their new situation that Jack had declared Dave to be his second dad.

"It's just like with Luke and his new mom," he'd explained. His classmate's mother had died as well, and apparently the father's new girlfriend had been readily accepted by the boy.

"Since you're not a girl, Uncle Dave, you can't be a mother, of course. But as a boy like me and Dad, you can be a dad," he had reasoned. "And since you're Dad's boyfriend, you can be my Dad, too."

For a moment, Dave had been rendered speechless. He and Aaron had already talked about setting up an arrangement for Dave to get custody of Jack in case, God forbid, anything should happen to Aaron, but hadn't finalized that yet. They'd agreed on talking to Jack about it first, and had been happy when the boy broached the subject himself.

"If you want to be my Dad, of course," Jack had added anxiously, when Dave had looked so stunned that he hadn't been able to react for a few seconds.

Pulling him into his arms, Dave had held him close. "Of course I want to. There's nothing on earth I want more than that."

Ever since that day, Jack called him 'Pop' and fought tooth and nails if anyone so much as dared question his fathers' relationship.

Despite all that, however, Dave and Aaron still kept up two households.

At first, they'd both agreed that they didn't want to rush things. But seeing Jack ease into their new situation, they both knew at some point it would be impractical to have two houses.

Still, they both liked their respective residences and hesitated selling one of them. Hotch had only bought his the previous year and didn't want to put it on the market again so soon. And for Dave, despite having shared homes with three different wives and having lived in various places by himself, his mansion was the first house he'd felt truly at home ever since the place he'd shared with Carolyn.

After a big fight, during which they were both glad to have been able to avoid each other for a few days to cool down, they hadn't brought up the subject again. Not even Jack, who had questioned their living arrangements before, had dared to talk about it once more, realizing that his fathers weren't able to agree on this topic. And since he didn't want to stir up another fight between them, he'd rather kept his mouth shut.

They made it work with two houses, staying at the Hotchner residence during the week and at Rossi's home over the weekends.

Until the week before Christmas had arrived.

Hotch had been at a conference in Chicago with Morgan for two days while Jack stayed with Dave.

And the boy had decided, once and for all, that now was the time to renegotiate their housing arrangements. He had shut up about it long enough!

For a couple of days he had thought about the best way to approach the subject and, knowing his Dad, had come to the conclusion that it was best to start discussing it with his Pop.

Dave knew something was up when Jack watched him closely during dinner, undoubtedly trying to figure out which mood he was in.

Grinning to himself, he let the boy continue for a while before saying,

"Okay, Champ, spill it! What's up with you tonight?"

Taking a deep breath, Jack sat up straight. He'd played out his plan over and over again, and hoped that everything would turn out as he wanted it.

"You're my Pop, right?" he started easily.

"Right. But we've established that months ago," Dave replied, chuckling.

Jack nodded and went on.

"And you and Dad have both set up this piece of paper that says I'd be staying with you in case anything happened to him, correct?"

"Yup."

"And you have talked about you adopting me so you can be my Pop officially."

Dave's amusement turned into surprise. How did Jack know about this? He and Aaron hadn't spoken with him about this particular idea yet.

Before he could voice his surprise, Jack gave the explanation himself.

"I heard you. I know I'm not supposed to listen when you're in your bedroom, but I was thirsty the other night and went down to the kitchen and your door was open a little bit. And when I heard you say my name, I listened for a while."

Dave knew he could never be angry with Jack, especially not when he was so honest, so he quickly put him at ease.

"It's okay, Buddy. Just don't do it again."

"I promise," Jack assured him.

Since his son had already brought up the topic, Dave was curious as to what he thought about it.

"So, how do you like the idea of me adopting you?"

Jack smiled widely. "I love it!"

"Yeah?"

He nodded enthusiastically. Now he had his Pop exactly where he wanted him.

"But how can you adopt me when you're not even living with me and Dad?" he asked innocently.

Dave was stunned into silence by Jack's logic.

"Is that what you want?" he wanted to know after a moment.

Jack nodded again. "Very much."

He thought for a few seconds.

"Actually, I like it better here with you," he sheepishly added.

"What do you mean?" Dave furrowed his brows, confused.

"Dad will probably get mad if I say this, but I like your house better. Everything is much bigger and there's much more space for me to run around and play with Mudgie, you know. It's almost like our old house where Mom and I lived."

Dave smiled gently at the boy. He couldn't deny that he was very happy to hear that.

"Why did you never say anything?" He asked.

Shrugging, Jack answered, "I don't know."

Seeing Dave's 'don't-give-me-that-shit'-expression on his face, he quickly admitted,

"You and Dad get angry with each other every time you talk about which house would be better. And also, I think it will make him sad when I say that I like your house better."

"I don't think your Dad would be sad if you tell him that. You know that all we want from you is to be honest with us. Your Dad will appreciate your honesty."

"I know. But I thought that maybe you could help me talk to Dad about moving in here with you."

Jack broke into a full-fledged grin again.

And Dave immediately understood that he'd been played by a seven-year-old. The boy was brilliant; he had to give him that. Just like his Dad.

And of course he didn't hesitate to get behind Jack's already formulated plan.

"So, what's your idea, Champ?" He smirked back.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Once again, I'd like to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews! You guys are all a great encouragement for me to keep going!**_

* * *

><p><strong>Happy With Me<strong>

Chapter 7: Christmas Day – Part 1

* * *

><p>It was five a.m. on Christmas morning and Jack had already been wide awake for at least the last twenty minutes. Just like every other child who was celebrating the Christian holiday, this very special time naturally had him excited like no other day in the year – except perhaps his birthday.<p>

Today, however, he was more nervous than he'd ever been in the entire seven years of his life. So much that he hadn't really been able to sleep at all.

What if his Dad said no?

What if he would be mad at him and Dave for going over his head?

Jack sat up and patted Mudgie awake, who was sleeping on his usual spot at the foot of his bed.

"Wish us luck today, Mudgie," he whispered to the dog before getting out of bed.

As quietly as he could as to not wake his fathers, he walked over to the bathroom. He had promised his Dad to not come into their bedroom before seven a.m. and he intended to keep that promise even if it was extremely hard for him to do so, being as excited as he was. He was not going to annoy or even anger his Dad with anything this morning. It was going to be hard enough to convince him of his and Pop's plan anyway.

After quickly brushing his teeth and getting dressed, he went back to his room and opened his desk to check if the present he and Dave had prepared for Aaron was still in place. Taking out the two envelopes and the small, gift-wrapped box, he decided to give the plain white paper a little bit of decoration.

He took his time coloring the envelopes, showing them to Mudgie every so often to get his opinion. When he was done, he saw that there was still quite some time left until seven o'clock.

Maybe he could make breakfast for his fathers, he mused. He'd watched them make pancakes for him a lot; it didn't seem to be that difficult.

Mudgie whined disapprovingly when Jack told him his idea.

"Come on, Mudgie, let's go."

The dog, however, preferred to stay out of the trouble, jumping back on Jack's bed to get comfortable. Shrugging, Jack made his way down to the kitchen alone.

.~.~.

A distinct burnt smell permeating the air in their bedroom woke Dave up.

"Aaron, do you smell this?" He asked loudly, elbowing his partner awake.

"Huh?" Aaron grunted, still half asleep.

"I don't know, something smells funny," Dave repeated, sniffling.

Right then, Mudgie started to bark and whine alarmingly loud in front of their door.

"Jack!" They both exclaimed at the same time, bolting upright in bed.

Jumping to their feet as fast as possible, Aaron raced over to Jack's room, while Dave ran downstairs, where smoke was coming out of their kitchen.

Storming in, he saw Jack kneeling on his stool that he always used when helping them in the kitchen, trying in vain to put out the fire he'd somehow managed to light in the pan. He jerked Jack away from the stove and gathered him in his arms.

Aaron, having arrived downstairs as well, quickly extinguished the flames with a towel.

"Is everything okay?" He asked concerned, when he was certain the fire couldn't reignite.

Jack, too scared to speak, threw his arms around Dave and nodded, burying his face into his neck.

Now that Aaron was sure that nothing serious had happened, anger began to take over.

"What the fuck did you think you were doing?" He thundered angrily.

"Language, Aaron!" Dave automatically admonished him, earning himself a dark glare in return.

"Jack!" Aaron yelled, demanding an answer.

"Give him a minute to calm down, Aaron," Dave intervened, assuaging him.

He kept the boy close and rubbed soothing circles up and down his back. It didn't take long and he felt the first tears wetting his neck, followed by long, hard sobs.

"Open the window to let the smoke out, will you," Dave told Aaron and went out and into the family room with Jack.

Aaron did as he was told and triple checked that the danger was indeed averted. He took a moment to inspect the scene in front of him and realized quickly what Jack had been trying to do. Despite his justified anger at his son, he couldn't stop the smile gracing his lips.

He was sure Jack had only meant well, but he and Dave would have to have a serious talk with their son, including the implementation of some new rules regarding the use of their kitchen.


	8. Chapter 8

**Happy With Me**

Chapter 8: Christmas Day – Part 2

* * *

><p>When Aaron came into the living room, Jack was still sobbing against Dave's neck. Dave kept him securely wrapped in his arms, knowing that the boy needed to be calmed down before he and Aaron read him the riot act.<p>

He gave Aaron a warning look to sit down and take a deep breath himself before tearing into his son. Aaron sat down on the corner of the table, opposite to Dave and Jack and waited exactly until Jack sobs began to die down and then gestured to Dave to let go of him.

Gently placing the boy next to himself, Dave kept an assuring arm around his shoulder.

Jack hung his head, not able to meet his Dad's eyes. He knew he had screwed up big this time, and now that the shock of almost setting their house on fire was over, he sadly realized that his Christmas wish was probably never coming true.

"I'm waiting for an explanation, Jack!" he heard his father say loudly after a few moments.

"Aaron-," Dave tried to intervene at the rough tone in Aaron's voice.

"No, Dave, he's had enough time to calm down now," the younger man brushed him off. "Start talking, Jack Hotchner, or your Christmas will be over before it even began!"

"I…I wanted to make…to make you breakfast," Jack started slowly, stammering, still not daring to look at his father. "I wanted to…to make you p-pancakes."

"Why didn't you wake one of us up to help you?" Dave asked gently.

"You and Dad said not before seven and I wanted to s'prise you," Jack answered softly. "I'm sorry."

"And how on earth did you manage to set the whole frying pan on fire?" Aaron wanted to know. The anger in his voice was still evident, but Jack also noticed that he seemed to have cooled down a bit.

"I don't know. I spilled some of the pancake batter on the burner and I wanted to clean it up. And suddenly the dishtowel was on fire. I dropped it in the pan, but I couldn't make it stop burning anymore."

A few new tears were now rolling down Jack's cheeks as he recalled what had happened. Aaron and Dave exchanged a quick glance. They were thankful that Jack had the good sense to drop the towel in the pan and not on the floor or anywhere else where the furniture could have caught fire. All three were relieved that they had escaped with no more than a fright.

"You are aware that there will be consequences for you for this stunt," Aaron asked sternly.

Jack nodded guiltily.

"Jack, look at me," he requested.

The seven-year-old carefully raised his head. His father's stare was intense and serious.

"You almost set the house on fire. Do you know how dangerous this could have been? For all of us, but especially for you?"

Jack nodded again.

"I know," he replied in a whisper, tears swimming in his eyes.

Seeing how much the incident upset his son, Aaron knelt down in front of him. His anger was now mostly gone, and even though he knew he had to punish Jack for his actions, he wanted to make sure that his boy way really okay and that he understood what it would mean for him if he lost him.

"You could have been seriously injured today."

"I know," Jack whispered again and lowered his eyes.

"Look at me, please," Aaron reminded him.

Jack wiped the tears away and met his Dad's gaze.

"I love you more than anything or anyone, Buddy," Aaron said gently. "If anything ever happened to you, I don't know what I would do. That would be the worst thing I can imagine."

"Worse than Mom dying?" Jack asked timidly.

"Much worse," Aaron answered. "I could never be happy again if I lost you."

Taking Jack's small hands in his as he saw him on the verge of crying again, Aaron quickly reassured him, "It's okay, Buddy. You just scared us really bad this morning. I want you to promise me that you'll never do anything like that again."

"I promise, Daddy," Jack said through tears. "I don't ever want to make you unhappy again."

"Buddy, you didn't make me unhappy. I was just angry with you. And scared that I could have lost you. I want you to understand how dangerously close to that you came this morning."

"I'm really sorry about everything."

"We know you are, Kiddo," Dave said, having quietly watched the exchange between the two Hotchners. "And we accept your apology."

Aaron nodded in agreement.

"What's my punishment?" Jack then asked quietly.

Aaron looked at Dave, who gave him an encouraging smile.

"First of all, there will be no presents," Aaron started slowly. Seeing Jack's sad, but accepting nod, he quickly went on, "until the kitchen has been cleaned up."

Jack's face lit up at those words. Maybe not everything had been lost yet.

"You're grounded for the next two weeks, and that includes your cousin's sleepover birthday party next week," Aaron continued.

"But-," Jack automatically started to protest, but was silenced by his Dad right away.

"Want me to include the New Year's party at Uncle Derek's as well?"

Jack quickly shook his head and kept quiet. He had been immensely looking forward to that party, since it was the first time he was going to be included in one of the adults' celebrations and would be allowed to stay up all night.

Aaron couldn't hide the small grin on his face. Jack had been talking about being invited to Morgan's party for weeks, and he couldn't bring himself to take that away from him.

"And," Dave chimed in then, "you'll be on kitchen duty for a still to be determined time frame. That means setting the table, cleaning the table, unload the dishwasher, feed Mudgie and clean his bowl and-" He made a dramatic pause.

"- cooking lessons with your Pop."

He winked at Jack, whose frown immediately turned into excitement.

"Really?"

"Really," Dave confirmed.

"However," Aaron threw in. "That also means the only time you'll be doing any kind of cooking is when either Dave or myself are present, got it?"

"Got it."

"I mean it, Jack! No more surprises," Aaron insisted. "If we ever catch you alone _cooking _in the kitchen again, I'll make sure your punishment will be extended indefinitely."

"I understand, Dad."

Aaron leaned forward and pulled Jack into his arms. Holding him close for a few long minutes, his own tears began to form when he felt Jack's arms cling tightly around his neck.

"Love you, Dad," Jack whispered. "I promise I'll never scare you like that again."

Pressing a soft kiss into his son's hair, Aaron replied, his voice thick with emotion,

"I love you too, son."

He held him for another while until Jack let go and turned to Dave.

"Love you, too, Pop," he said, hugging him as well.

"And I love you, Jack," Dave replied. "Now, I believe a certain kitchen is waiting to be cleaned up."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: My deepest thanks to everyone who has been following this story for the past six months. I can't believe I've finally managed to finish it – in June… One last chapter after this one, and certainly not with an ending I had in mind when I started writing it…**

* * *

><p><strong>Happy With Me<strong>

Chapter 9: Christmas Day – Part 3

* * *

><p>With Aaron's and Dave's help, the kitchen had been returned into its original condition in no time.<p>

"You still have a lot to learn, Kiddo," Dave said, tasting what was left of Jack's pancake batter.

He showed Aaron the bowl Jack had used to randomly mix eggs, flour and sugar in, and Aaron couldn't hide his amused grin.

"How 'bout we start with our first cooking lesson right now?" Dave suggested.

They made pancakes with Dave explaining step-by-step how it was done, watching Jack closely, but letting him do the majority of the work, while Aaron took Mudgie for a short walk. When they were done and Aaron and Mudgie had returned, they took their breakfast with them to the family room to eat while finally opening the presents.

Jack was delighted and excited about everything Santa Claus had put under the tree for him, and was secretly very glad that the kitchen incident had happened this morning, after Santa had already delivered the gifts. He wasn't so sure if the man in the red suit wouldn't have skipped their house had his naughty behavior taken place earlier.

"All right, do you want to play with your new toys now, Buddy?" Aaron suggested when they were done unwrapping. After all the excitement of the morning he was more than ready to just curl up on the couch with Dave for a while, watching his son.

Jack and Dave exchanged a conspiratorial look and Aaron noticed that in addition to Jack's excitement over his gifts, there was something he was quite nervous about.

"Is there anything else?" He asked suspiciously.

Jack glanced at Dave again, who nodded his consent to get the last and probably most important present for Aaron out.

"Pop and I have another present for you, "Jack said importantly.

He didn't wait for Aaron's answer, but jumped up and ran upstairs to get the gifts from his room. The look Aaron threw Dave was full of questions.

"Don't you think you've given me enough?" He said. "Not that I'm not happy about it."

Dave's gifts had included a new watch, no doubt very expensive, as his old one had broken a few weeks ago, plus a whole collection of old John Wayne movies, among other things.

Dave only grinned.

"Just wait and see, Aaron, you're going to like this," he replied and added under his breath, "at least I hope so."

"What was that?" Aaron asked.

"Oh, nothing."

Jack came running back down the stairs with both envelopes and the box, and let himself fall between his two dads onto the couch.

Despite the wide smile his son gave him, Aaron noticed he couldn't really shake off the nervousness. Whatever was in those two envelopes and the box, he was sure it was something major.

"Open this one first," Jack said and handed him the small box.

"Did you wrap this yourself?" Aaron wanted to know, not able to hide the smirk at the creative way the paper was covering the box.

Jack nodded excitedly.

"Uh huh. And I colored these for you," he told him proudly, holding the envelopes up to show his dad his work.

"Good job, Buddy," Aaron praised him and began to tear the gift-wrap off.

His heart began to beat faster when he realized he was holding a jewelry box in his hands. Dave wasn't going to propose, was he? The box was a bit too big for only a ring, but who knew.

They weren't even officially living together and he had actually planned on proposing to Dave himself, once their two households were combined. His plan was to talk about moving himself and Jack into Dave's mansion once the New Year started, and then propose on Valentine's Day. Cliché, maybe, but nevertheless and idea he had been very fond of since the moment it had formed in this mind. He had already even bought the rings.

Slowly opening the lid, he couldn't help but feel a bit relieved when instead of rings he found three identical silver lockets on delicate silver necklaces, the letters J, A and D engraved in the front. Carefully he took one of them out and played it between his fingers.

Deeply touched, he looked up to meet his son's and his partner's eyes, both looking at him full of expectation.

"That's one for each of us," Jack explained.

"I figured," Aaron answered with a grin.

"And there's a picture of us inside, too!" The boy continued excitedly, taking the second locket out to show him.

Opening his own locket, Aaron felt himself tearing up as he saw the photograph of the three of them, taken a few weeks back on his birthday.

"I wanted to get you this, because Mom had one, too, and she always wore it and said this way she'd never forget me. And then Pop had the idea we should all get one. That way we'll never forget that we belong together."

A few tears were now silently running down Aaron's cheeks.

"Thank you," he said quietly, his heart filling with love and pride for his son and for Dave.

He pulled Jack into a gentle embrace and pressed a soft kiss to his temple, then leaned over and gave Dave an equally tender kiss on the lips. They took the time to put the necklaces on each other before turning their attention back to the two envelopes.

"Now I'm really curious what's in there," Aaron grinned, taking the envelopes.

"Open this one first!" Jack gestured to the one he'd colored in blue and green.

He glanced at Dave, who was now considerably nervous. Aaron knew this expression, the obvious guilt written all over his lover's face. It was an expression the older man only wore when he'd made a unilateral decision about something, knowing that Aaron would be pissed about it, if only for the fact that he hadn't been consulted about it.

Noting his son's eager anticipation he knew that whatever was in there, it was very important to both of them and therefore, by default, for himself.

Carefully tearing the envelope open as to not destroy the artwork Jack had made of it, he unfolded the papers that were inside.

Quickly scanning through them, his jaw dropped when he realized what they were. He didn't know what he expected, but certainly not this. The papers that were needed for Dave to formally adopt Jack. Forms that had already been filled out and were only missing his signature. It didn't happen very often, but for the moment, Aaron was stunned into silence. He had no idea what to say or how to react to this.

He knew he should be happy that Dave was willing to become a parent to Jack. Well, technically to legally take on all the rights and responsibilities that came with this job, as he'd already acted as a parent for a while now. He should be happy that Jack wanted him to be.

He knew in their situation, with the family they had already become, Dave adopting Jack was, despite all the paperwork, just a formality for them.

Still, Dave had made a decision that wasn't his to make, not without his consultation, especially not since they hadn't even properly talked about it, let alone with Jack. Well, Dave had apparently done that, too, and his son seemed to be elated, not that Aaron had seriously expected anything else. Yet again, it was a conversation he would have liked to have been in on, being the one who has to give his consent to this after all.

He felt the anger boil in his stomach and he had to bite his tongue from saying something he knew he'd regret.

"Daddy?" Jack probed carefully when he felt Aaron's silence had been going on for too long.

Aaron immediately felt guilt adding to the mix of emotions that were currently running through him. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint his son with his reaction to this surprise he and Dave had no doubt put a lot of thought and effort in.

Dave realized the conflict within Aaron. He knew that he and Jack had taken a risk with their plan, and he was fully prepared to take all the heat he'd certainly be getting from his partner. The last thing he wanted, though, was for Aaron to be mad at Jack, especially not since the almost-disaster from this morning.

"Maybe you should open the other envelope, too, before you chew my head off, " he said to Aaron, emphasizing the word '_my'_ to signal him unmistakably that he wished to have all of his anger directed towards him. "Saves yourself the breath of freaking out twice."

Aaron opened the second envelope, this one rainbow colored, and saw that the boy's initial excitement had completely changed into anxiously anticipating his father's reaction. He ruffled Jack's hair in an attempt to put him at ease.

The content of this envelope was a purchase and sale agreement for his and Jack's house, again only missing his signature. From what he gathered, the buyer was intent on paying a more than reasonable price; he had to give Dave this.

Of course, he had no doubt that a certain technical analyst had offered her expertise and assistance. Her signature was too obvious in all of this.

Taking a deep breath, Aaron looked up, from Dave to Jack and back to his lover.

As calmly as possible, he stated, "I believe you owe me an explanation."


	10. Chapter 10

**Happy With Me**

Chapter 10: A Christmas Happy Ending

* * *

><p>"If you're going to be mad, be mad at me, Aaron," Dave said. "But please hear me out first."<p>

Aaron sighed and nodded, prompting him to go on.

"You seemed a little reluctant to take the next step-"

"It was my idea," Jack threw in.

"Jack-," Dave tried to stop him, wanting to make sure Aaron's anger would be focused on him instead of the boy.

"It's okay, Pop," Jack said bravely. "You and Dad always tell me to stand up for my mistakes."

Aaron gestured his son to go on, cringing inwardly at his use of the word 'mistake'. While it was clear that Dave had overstepped a few lines which was the reason for his irritation, Jack certainly hadn't done anything wrong – well, except maybe for not talking to him first, but that was hardly a mistake. Besides, he was sure he'd get a proper explanation from his son.

"I wanted us all to live together in one place. All of my friends live in one house with their parents. When you and Mom were still married, we did, too. And then you only had two houses because you weren't together anymore. But you and Pop are together and you love each other and you talked about Pop adopting me so he can be my father for real. And I want that! But he can't adopt me if we're not even living together as a family!" Jack blurted out, leaving Aaron speechless again.

After a deep breath, the seven-year-old added sheepishly, in a low voice, "I also really like Pop's house."

Aaron needed a few moments to sort his thoughts and looked at Dave to share the details Jack had left out.

"Jack talked to me a week ago while you were at the conference with Morgan. We thought that if we went the whole hog you couldn't refuse anymore. I know and I agree we should have talked to you first, but you would have found another argument and another reason to keep things as they are, and to be honest, I didn't want to wait anymore. So we asked Garcia for a little help. She found a buyer for your house – a small family with a three-year-old daughter, by the way – and we took care of everything. All you have to do is put two signatures on these papers."

Inhaling deeply, Aaron stared at him, his face stern and unreadable. On the inside he felt his resistance crumble and his anger disappear, and the happiness that had filled him when he'd seen the lockets returned to every last part of his body.

If it had only been Dave right now, he would take great pleasure in making him sweat for a another while, but he didn't want to have Jack worried much longer.

"All right, three things," he began, waiting until Jack met his gaze.

"First, you did not make a mistake, Buddy, you understand?"

The boy nodded, though he didn't seem fully convinced. His dad hadn't looked happy with this surprise at all, and since he had come up with the idea, he felt it was all his fault.

"Your attempt at cooking breakfast this morning was a mistake, but not this. You tried to please me and surprise me with something that's important to you. That could never be a mistake, got it?"

Jack gave him a small smile.

"Good. Second, you don't like our house?"

Jack lowered his gaze.

"I do. I just like Pop's house better. There's a bigger backyard and my room is bigger and I have more space to play with Mudgie. I like it here, too, but if I have to choose, I would choose Pop's house."

"Why did you never tell me?"

"I didn't want to make you sad. And I didn't want you to be angry with me for liking Pop's house better. I mean, you asked me to help you decide when we bought this house, and I really liked this one best, but that was before Pop started living with us."

An understanding smile formed on Aaron's lips. Stroking over Jack's head, he bent down and gave him a loving kiss.

"Promise me something, Buddy," he said. "You come to me if there's anything you don't like or want changed and we'll talk about it. Think you can do that?"

"Yes," Jack replied.

"Good. Now as for the adoption-"

"I really want that, Dad! Please!" Jack interrupted him, before he could finish his sentence, pleading eagerly. "I know Pop has already been my father, but that would make it official, and no one could ever take me away from you and him. Please don't say no!"

"Well, if you're sure…"

"I am!"

Aaron smiled and looked at Dave, who was shining with joy again.

"You are sure, too, Dave?"

"Absolutely!" Dave said firmly, not hesitating for one millisecond.

"So you're going to sign?" Jack asked impatiently.

"Get me a pen."

Jack practically jumped from the couch to bring him one, while Dave closed the space between them. Leaning into him, he didn't wait for an invitation, and pressed his lips firmly on Aaron's.

"Thank you," he murmured against them, and deepened the kiss.

They broke apart when Jack came bolting back with the pen.

"You can kiss when you've signed, Dad," he ordered him, bringing amused grins to his fathers' faces.

"All right then, give me those papers."

Once his two signatures were correctly placed, Jack jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Aaron held his son close with one arm and reached for Dave with the other, pulling him to him as well.

"I can't tell you how much this means to me, Aaron. Or how happy you just made me," Dave whispered into his ear.

And if Aaron hadn't been convinced yet, that alone would have told him he was making the right decision.

Suddenly, he realized there was one more thing for him to do, that this was exactly the right moment to do it. He released Jack from his embrace and sat him down on the couch, before he stood up.

"There's something else," he said to them. "Excuse me for a moment."

Dave and Jack exchanged a curious look.

When Aaron came back, he knelt down in front of Dave, and the expression on his and Jack's faces turned into bewilderment.

It didn't take more than two seconds for Dave to realize what was about to happen, though. His breath caught and he was sure his heart missed a beat or two.

"You know," Aaron began, "what you said earlier, that I would come with more arguments and reasons to avoid moving in with you, that wasn't true. I know I was reluctant in the past, but the truth is, I've already had this whole idea in my head that I was going to talk to you about Jack and I moving into your mansion and finally make everything official."

He smiled and the tears were starting to form in Dave's eyes. Jack watched the scene in front of himself eagerly, even though he had no clue yet as to why his dad was kneeling in front of his pop and what was in the small box he was still hiding in his palm.

"I've had this whole plan worked out, how I'd whisk you away to Long Island for a few days over Valentine's Day and then propose to you in your cousin's little Italian restaurant two streets from where you grew up. But you know what? Now is as good a moment as any, in fact, it doesn't get more perfect than this."

He flipped the small velvet box open, revealing two simple, yet tasteful white gold rings.

"Will you marry me, David Rossi?"

Jack gasped as he realized what was happening, and Dave wore the biggest and happiest grin anyone had ever seen on him.

Bending forward, he took Aaron's face in his hands and kissed him, deep, long and passionate. His tears were intermingling with Aaron's own tears of joy as they lost themselves in their kiss for a moment.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes," Aaron said as they came apart for air.

"Yes!" Dave confirmed, sounding as giddy as David Rossi could possibly sound.

"Yay!" Jack shouted out is excitement, as he fully comprehended the situation, jumping onto both his fathers, bringing the three of them down on the floor. For a while he had been really worried that his dad would shut him and Pop down, but now he'd gotten even more than he'd hoped for. Pop and Dad, too.

Rolling on the carpet, Aaron and Dave took Jack between them, both giving him a kiss on each of his cheeks. Even Mudgie barked excitedly, as if he knew exactly what was going on.

"Put your rings on," Jack urged them on, taking the jewelry box out of Aaron's hand.

"They're meant to be our wedding bands, but I guess it can't hurt if we wear them already," Aaron said.

"Definitely not," Dave grinned.

Aaron took the bigger ring out of the box Jack was holding for him and slid it carefully on Dave's left ring finger. When Dave had done the same with the other ring, they melted into another deep kiss.

For a while the three kept laying on the floor in front of the Christmas tree, Jack tucked between them, enjoying the moment together. They knew they would forever keep this day, this Christmas in their hearts as one of the happiest days in their lives.

They had been a family for a while now, but this was the start of their very own happily ever after.

Neither Dave nor Aaron had any doubts that this time it was forever.

_~The End~_


End file.
